Dean Smith comments

[wbaliquidator]

Dean Smith said that Grealish had great balance and he commented how it was so difficult for opponents to knock him off the ball…..Really.
That statement is taking the Pi$$ big time

[Baggiemadguern]

Dean Smith said that Grealish had great balance and he commented how it was so difficult for opponents to knock him off the ball…..Really.
That statement is taking the Pi$$ big time

Smith should have been a stand up comedian, oh wait a minute, he is probably being serious. Jack would not make it in the mans game of real football of yesteryear rather than today’s softly softly children’s football. Actually, I think kids of the 60’s & 70’s were probably harder to knock over and rode tackles better than the fairies of today. (Swap fairies for butterflies if you are the PC police. )

[westcountryvillain]

The game's different to what it was, thanks to the influence of theatrical divers from around the world and them winning an unfair advantage. Had it stayed the same, players would have stayed the same to succeed in the game - Grealish does go to ground too often, most of us agree on that. He isn't easily outmuscled though.

[kettering_baggie]

It is a real shame that a class player dives so readily. Grealish is a class player and will probably become one of the country’s top players but until the football authorities crack down on cheating, this behaviour will only increase. The football authorities are just so ******* useless. Also, good player that he is, Grealish has shown himself to be somewhat thick, in good company with Barkley, who is, I think, the thickest player I’ve ever heard interviewed.

[Exiledvillan]

Modern fans demand silky skill, flair, and pace, not blood and guts. Football reflects society. The softer society, the softer the game, and just look at the state of society.

Our heroes were those who shone, despite the carnage around them, George Best, Laurie Cunningham, Rodney Marsh, and for me Brian Little. Now if a player gets touched or in the slightest infringed upon, they go down. Tv pundits are advocates of it. How many times do we hear them say ‘ooh, if he had gone down, he would have got a penalty, or so and so would have been sent off’.

Jack gets the attention due to the fact he’s so much better than the rest of the Villa team (and Villa are not the most popular around your neck of the woods), therefore, he stands out like a beacon, a target for naysayers. He’s no worse than; Salah, Mane, Firmino, Vardy, Maddison, Rashford, Pogba, KDB, Aguero, Jesus, Kane, Son, Bale, The Arsenal lads, Wolves, Ings, most are at it. It doesn’t make it right, but what can we do?

Football is no longer a full-contact sport. It will only get worse, and the only winners will be the pampered millionaires who play the game.

The game, our game, died years ago. All we have are our memories, it broke my spirit long ago.

[Baggiemadguern]

Modern fans demand silky skill, flair, and pace, not blood and guts. Football reflects society. The softer society, the softer the game, and just look at the state of society.

Our heroes were those who shone, despite the carnage around them, George Best, Laurie Cunningham, Rodney Marsh, and for me Brian Little. Now if a player gets touched or in the slightest infringed upon, they go down. Tv pundits are advocates of it. How many times do we hear them say ‘ooh, if he had gone down, he would have got a penalty, or so and so would have been sent off’.

Jack gets the attention due to the fact he’s so much better than the rest of the Villa team (and Villa are not the most popular around your neck of the woods), therefore, he stands out like a beacon, a target for naysayers. He’s no worse than; Salah, Mane, Firmino, Vardy, Maddison, Rashford, Pogba, KDB, Aguero, Jesus, Kane, Son, Bale, The Arsenal lads, Wolves, Ings, most are at it. It doesn’t make it right, but what can we do?

Football is no longer a full-contact sport. It will only get worse, and the only winners will be the pampered millionaires who play the game.

The game, our game, died years ago. All we have are our memories, it broke my spirit long ago.

Top post Exilledvillian, exactly how it is. I don’t really watch it anymore. The term I really dislike hearing is when a penalty is awarded a pundit/commentator says ‘he felt slight contact so he went down for the penalty, it was a penalty’. No it is cheating, when did cheating become a written rule in the game! It is so blatant in today’s game it shocks me referees fall for it all the time.

[Barrera]

Grealish is a diver period ..... always looking for the slightest touch to take him down especially in the box. But you have to say what a great player ..... every time he gets the ball he makes something happen ..... exciting to watch .... should be nailed on starter in the England team for next five years. Can’t see the Villa hanging onto him for too much longer tbh ....

[Leicesterbaggie]

The game has changed beyond recognition to that which I grew up with as a youngster. Of course there are aspects of the game which are much better today but I would say that they are more on the perifary than the actual game. The facilities at grounds are far superior, the state of the pitches have improved beyond recognition, the fitness of the players is much greater etc.
However, it is the deteriorating attitudes of the players and some of the rule changes that are causing the major problems. The game is virtually becoming a non contact sport. Tackles which were an everyday part of the game are now warranting yellow or red cards. The most innocuous of tackles is now worthy of a yellow card. The media are a major part of the problem as well by extolling the virtues of conning the referee. As for the feining of injuries, it has become farcical. I don't think that referees are of the quality that they used to be. Too soft on players who question decisions, too hard on harmless tackles and too influenced in favour of certain teams, managers and players. VAR should be confined to the history books and the only help that referees should receive is from the linesmen and goal line technology.
As for the rules, let's get back to the original handball rule which stated that for it to be an infringement it had to be that, in the opinion of the referee, the hand struck the ball and not the ball struck the hand. The offside rule is now ridiculous. Let's just state that there needs to be daylight between the attacker and the defender for an offside decision to be made. I could go on but let's leave it at that.

[kettering_baggie]

The game has changed beyond recognition to that which I grew up with as a youngster. Of course there are aspects of the game which are much better today but I would say that they are more on the perifary than the actual game. The facilities at grounds are far superior, the state of the pitches have improved beyond recognition, the fitness of the players is much greater etc.
However, it is the deteriorating attitudes of the players and some of the rule changes that are causing the major problems. The game is virtually becoming a non contact sport. Tackles which were an everyday part of the game are now warranting yellow or red cards. The most innocuous of tackles is now worthy of a yellow card. The media are a major part of the problem as well by extolling the virtues of conning the referee. As for the feining of injuries, it has become farcical. I don't think that referees are of the quality that they used to be. Too soft on players who question decisions, too hard on harmless tackles and too influenced in favour of certain teams, managers and players. VAR should be confined to the history books and the only help that referees should receive is from the linesmen and goal line technology.
As for the rules, let's get back to the original handball rule which stated that for it to be an infringement it had to be that, in the opinion of the referee, the hand struck the ball and not the ball struck the hand. The offside rule is now ridiculous. Let's just state that there needs to be daylight between the attacker and the defender for an offside decision to be made. I could go on but let's leave it at that.

Excellent post, I agree entirely.

[boingy]

Agree. We can all see it. The game is now a mess.